Tom Hazen

THE MO-1 was built in 1922 by the Glenn L. Martin Co., then in Cleveland, Ohio. It was the first all-metal monoplane that carried a crew of three and used either landing gear or floats. Just six were built, No. 6455-6460, and only two were used in carrier operations in 1924. They were used as Navy observation or spotter planes but were considered by the Navy as not suited for this purpose. This could be the reason so little is known about the MO-1. The real success of the MO-1 as a model was to come in the late 1960's from a cooperative effort by Don Gerber and Charles Reeves-not as a scout plane, but as a control-line Navy Carrier plane. Simple, clean lines, a generous low profile fin and rudder, and a shoulder wing for stable flight, are a few reasons why it fits our needs. The time may be gone when those very sleek, racing style Profile Carrier models can compete with the scale planes. Ten bonus points are hard to make up for using an original design.